I wholeheartedly believe in the power of the mind body connection. A healthy body fosters a healthy mind. Teaching what I am passionate about is a big gift to me and that is what I share with our students.

We will learn fitness concepts, movement skills, muscle groups, nutrition, mindfulness activities and responsible behavior. We engage in a variety of activities and small sided games to put skill into dynamic practice. We focus on practice over results. We prioritize enjoyment of moving our bodies.

Through mindfulness activities like yoga and Brain Power Wellness, all students learn:

• Responsible behavior — awareness of space, safe handling of equipment.
• Value of physical activity.

Grades K–2: Movement skills & concepts — balance, jumping, landing, catching/throwing, kicking, passing, receiving, dodging, locomotor and non-locomotor skills, coordination.

Grades 3–5: Skill-related fitness concepts such as agility, reaction time, coordination, balance, speed and power.

I’ve been a dancer and dance therapist for over 20 years. I’ve also trained and taught yoga, gymnastics, and taekwondo. I’m self-taught in house and street dance. Some general themes of my teaching practice are justice, activism, connecting to nature, neighborhoods, body positivity, mindfulness, and inclusion.

At PS 20, I am co-sustainability coordinator, and I also help with Rainbow Club for our LGBT+ community, as well as hosting the annual PS 20 Talent Show in the spring.

With lower grades, I focus on creative movement, rhythm, developing style, and social dance. With upper grades, I include a little choreography and history, and start to teach a little technique, such as ballet and hip hop. My philosophy of dance education applies broadly to all techniques.

In September and October, all grades learn Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” dance, and perform a dance mob at Halloween. Every year, I also include 10-week units of yoga, gymnastics, and martial arts. I try to sprinkle in singing, stories, and yoga practices in every class.

I am a seasoned educator and lifelong advocate for the environment. I see grades K–5 once a week in the Hydroponics Lab, and during that time students will be Farmer Scientists, learning a variety of topics such as hydroponics and the environment, aquaponics (fish!), germination, and plant life cycles. You can look forward to your student(s) proudly bringing home vegetables that they grew themselves throughout the school year.

Additionally, using the Amplify Science curriculum as a resource, students will engage in grade specific topics and investigations.

When I’m not at school you can find me hanging out with my 2 kids, playing with our dog, or going for runs throughout our beautiful city.

I am the instrumental music teacher at PS 20, servicing grades K through 5. Music is once per week with an emphasis on learning to play the following band instruments: clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, bass, or drums. All classes will work on rhythm, reading notated music (1st–5th) and music theory.

Kindergarteners begin their musical journey with percussion instruments, recorder, and the trumpet. They work solely on reading rhythms rather than actual notes during their first year.

1st–5th grade will work on learning to play and read all notated music on their chosen instrument.

During library visits, literacy is promoted through read-aloud sessions with books that align with the IB PYP Learner Profile attributes and the IB PYP Attitudes, while incorporating Reading with Purpose and the 5 Keys to Storytelling.

• Digital literacy and digital citizenship. The importance of learning how to be responsible digital citizens is promoted through the use of computers, as well as audio books, as part of the library classes.
• Research skills. Students develop research skills geared towards their IB Units of Study by using books, periodicals, and the internet.
• Multicultural competency. Diversity, tradition, culture, and language are explored, shared and discussed through literature, research, and geography. Spanish vocabulary is incorporated into discussions to promote exposure to additional languages.

Bonjour! My name is Andrew Ortner, or simply Mr. O. I grew up in the city, but lived in France during the summers in my childhood and later studied in the South of France in high school and college. I love to scuba dive, ride my bike, practice yoga, play the drums, and admire my two cats, Cosmo and Poly.

I teach French as a second language for 3-K through 2nd grades. My classes engage students in French learning through music, art, and science. This year I will introduce the wonders of the undersea world in the French language through Jacques Cousteau and his works, as well as sharing videos of my own diving experiences. We will learn about the delicate environments and how to protect our waters and earth.

In doing so, we will practice new vocabulary as well as verbs and adjectives. My 1st and 2nd graders will have a focus on producing oral French (dialogues and questions) especially. We will also explore writing and reading in French.